Quality Control is a crucial part in the process of importing from China. Pressure on production costs, distance, time and cultural differences make it unavoidable.

Implementing Quality Control allows the importer to :
• Minimize the risks (and associated costs) linked to quality, loading, warehousing or non-compliance issues : “My products have been rejected by customs because the labelling done by my Chinese supplier does not comply with European standards.”

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On matters economic, I generally give the Chinese government high marks. Starting in 1978 with an economy that could barely feed its people, the government has guided China through 30 incredible years of economic reform and development.

I have been here for half that period, and have personally witnessed how China has built out its infrastructure, deregulated one industry after another …

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In the Western world and especially in the Netherlands, open exchanges of view and fair discussions are very common. This sort of verbal interaction has a positive positively interpreted connotation. It is a proof the discussion partner is interested in you and your opinions.

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Joint Ventures, in this specific context, refer to a registered legal entity cooperation between at least one foreign investor and Chinese investor. Previously, this structure was more common, though it has been steadily decreasing due to the disadvantages set out below.

Joint Ventures can be classified into two different types:

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A simple taxi ride from Shanghai to Suzhou put me very much in mind of developing contracts with Chinese – even the simplest of contracts. Very seldom in business do Chinese adhere to the Letter of the Law, while they exorcise its Spirit at their earliest convenience. And if the agreement is verbal, then watch out!

The deal was this: for 300RMB – including tolls – the Shanghai driver would take me to Suzhou …

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